The charges include allegations dating to 2010, when the couple moved to Riverside County, California, from outside Fort Worth, Texas.

The abuse began in Texas with the children being tied to beds with ropes and then hog-tied, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said.

When one child was able to wriggle free, the couple began restraining them with chains and padlocks for up to months at a time, Hestrin said.

Reuters

David Turpin, right centre, and Louise Turpin, far left, appear in court for their arraignment in Riverside, California

While the children were deprived of food, the Turpin parents ate well and tormented the kids by leaving apple and pumpkin pies on the kitchen counter, but not letting them have any, Hestrin said.

Similarly, the children were not allowed to play with toys, though many were found throughout the house in their original packaging.

The torture and false imprisonment charges do not include the two-year-old, who was not malnourished.

The oldest child, a 29-year-old woman, weighed only 82 pounds and a 12-year-old was the weight of a typical seven-year-old, Hestrin said.

All the children's names begin with the letter J, according to court documents that didn't provide their full names.

Reuters

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin announces charges against David Turpin and Louise Turpin

Prosecutors but didn't offer any theories about the motivation for what they called an escalating climate of brutality which began in Texas and ended in a small, desert town a couple of hours southeast of LA.

The siblings, who were schooled at home, were rarely seen outside the house, though the parents posted photos of them together at Disneyland and in Las Vegas, where the couple renewed their wedding vows.

In addition to raising them largely in isolation, the children were forced to stay up all night and sleep during the day, Hestrin said.

Prosecutors believe the parents may have been able to hide the abuse by functioning while other families slept.

What do we know about Mr and Mrs Turpin?

David Turpin had worked as an engineer for defence technology firms Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

Louise Turpin identified herself as a housewife in a 2011 bankruptcy filing.

David Turpin's parents, James and Betty, from West Virginia, said they were "surprised and shocked" at the allegations.